Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) systems may utilize flexible robotic catheters that are navigated in the bloodstream of a patient and visualized using X-rays. MIS apparatus and techniques have advanced to the point where an elongated catheter instrument is controllable by selectively operating tensioning control elements within the catheter instrument. In one example, four opposing directional control elements wend their way to the distal end of the catheter which, when selectively placed in and out of tension, cause the distal end to steerably maneuver within the patient. Control motors are coupled to each of the directional control elements so that they may be individually controlled and the steering effectuated via the operation of the motors in unison.
A controller device includes an assortment of controls to allow an operator to maneuver the catheter instrument as well as a guide wire guided by the catheter instrument. Some controller devices employ buttons dedicated to control the catheter instrument and a second set of buttons to control the guide wire. Other controller devices include a joystick type controller to control the catheter, often one-handed, and a separate set of button controls to control the guide wire. For instance, gross hand motion of a joystick may be used to control the catheter, leaving the operator to use one's thumb and fine finger control to manipulate the guide wire. When controlling such catheter devices, coordinated motion of the catheter device and guide wire may be difficult to perform. Thus, such systems may lack the precision desired by operators of the robotic catheter system for performing MIS operations.